Does Your Business Leave a Memorable and Lasting Impression Online?

The humble search engine results page (SERP) is a deceptively complicated place, especially as we move to using multiple devices of all shapes and sizes. What once was a list of ten quick links, served up after your individual search, is now a mix of paid placement ads, image carousels, information boxes, and carefully optimized "organic" content. The more of the this increasingly dynamic page that your business takes up, the more likely you are to see valuable customer clicks coming through to your website. Just as our studies recommend using a vanity number in your paid search ads

Business owners are understandably wary of paying for search results when their site already ranks well organically. Why pay for more when you're already well-placed for free? There are a few good reasons for doing so.

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[caption id="attachment_1808" align="aligncenter" width="661"] Search engine results provide great marketing real estate, where a vanity number can help provide extra branding muscle.[/caption]

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Synchronize Your Search Results and Paid Ads

First (but not foremost), two links are better than one. If you take up more real estate on that elite first page of Google, your business site is going to see more traffic as a result. If customers miss the paid section ,then they can still catch the organic listing, and vice versa. More importantly - and less well-known - is that a variety of research (including regular analysis by Google) shows searchers are generally more likely to click on organic search results when they have just scrolled past a paid advertisement. Think of it in the same way that big brands with TV adverts often reinforce their message through repetition at the end of an expensive ad spot. The beauty of a paid search is that you only pay when someone clicks, so less money is spent on people who end up ignoring your message. Another important area to consider for SEO synchronization is the social media presence of your business. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinteres,t and Google+ are increasingly taking up the top spots of the SERPs when businesses are active and popular on those channels. Once again, these links provide extra space for your business and less for competitors. Studies continue to suggest that in today's cluttered online environment it takes at least seven impressions of your brand before a customer is ready to click through or dig deeper into what you offer. By appearing in your target market's online journeys more often, in more places, you increase the chance that yours is the business they'll remember and want to call. [caption id="attachment_2014" align="aligncenter" width="699"] When your search ads also appear on display networks with memorable contact details, your business is much more likely to be recalled.[/caption]  

Access (Re)Targeted Marketing

Another area of paid search and display advertising that's easily overlooked (but very powerful) is retargeting. With this feature of Google, Facebook, and other popular advertising platforms, you can capture information about customers who have shown an interest in your business online and retarget your ads to other sites that they visit. Keeping in mind that it takes several online touches to even make an impression on poential customers, this is a great way to ensure that your marketing reaches the right people in a subtle yet effective way. As visuals are important, remember to include the most memorable marketing tools in your kit consistently across paid search channels and retargeted ads. These include your logo, tag line, vanity phone number, website, and any familiar visuals that your brand uses, like a mascot or font type. By using these items consistently you have a greater chance of standing out to people, even if they aren't consciously aware that they're making the association with your brand. All of these factors make it well worth taking the time to synchronize your search results and up your advertising game with a mixture of paid, organic, and social SEO. And if you don't already have a memorable number to build into your marketing mix, here's where to start looking!